Self opening and closing gate apparatus



April 5, 1955 A. G. PLATT 2,705,338 SELF OPENING AND CLOSING GATE APPARATUS Filed March 4, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l ID H INVENTOR Arthur G. Plotr ATTORNEY-I.

April 5, 1955 A. G. PLATT 2,705,338

SELF OPENING AND CLOSING GATE APPARATUS Filed March 4. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR" Arthur G. Plofl BY wwQmL-Q ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,705,338 SELF OPENING AND CLOSING GATE APPARATUS Arthur G. Platt, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application March 4, 1954, Serial No. 414,141 6 Claims. (Cl. 16-154) The present invention relates to self opening and closing gate apparatus and has for an object to provide a device which may be separately fabricated and installed upon existing gates in a. simple and efiicient manner and in a minimum of time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device which may be manufactured and distributed in kit-form and which when installed will not require any hands for the operation thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device in accordance with the present invention which is rugged in construction and which may be continuously subjected to the elements without affecting its operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter and will Be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended ereto.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gate and post having an opening and closing device constructed in accordance with the present invention installed thereon,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the opening cam and the opening cam engaging means in contact therewith for opening the gate in one direction,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a gate and post equipped with a device constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 in Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the lower section of a gate having the foot actuating device of the present invention installed therein,

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 7-7 in Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 8-8 in Figure 6, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the opening cam engaging means actuating rods.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Figures 1 and 3, 10 designates generally a gate whose frame is of pipe-like construction having horizontal top and bottom members 11 and 12, respectively, which are joined by vertical members 13 and 14, respectively, defining generally a rectangular construction. The gate 10 is hinged to a post 15 by collars 16 and 17 which are connected to the members 15 of the gate as by bolts 18 and 19. The collars 16, 17 are of the two piece construction being joined by bolts 20, 21. The internal diameter of the collars 16, 17 is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the post 15 to permit the gate to be vertically lifted axially of the post 15.

The cam members which operate the gate 10 are two in number and consist of an opening cam plate 22 which may be provided with a cam track of a substantially isosceles triangular construction having two equal sides 23, 24 which define the working surfaces of the cam and which are joined by an apex 25. This cam plate 22 is curved in an arc struck on a cylinder as best seen in Figure 5, and is attached to the post 15 by bolts 26 having collar spacers 27 between the plate 22 and post 15.

Cooperating with the opening cam plate 22 is the opening cam engaging means which consist of a pair of spring biased plungers 28, 29 having housings 30, 31 within which a spring biases the plungers 28, 29 to a normally extended projecting position with respect to the housings 30, 31 which are brazed, welded or otherwise secured to leaves 32, 33 of a pair of leaf hinges. The springs within the housings 30, 31 are arranged with one end of each spring abutting the end of the cylinder and the other end of each spring abutting a collar secured to the plunger (not shown). The other leaves 36, 37 are secured to a plate 38 which is adapted to be clamped to the member 14 of the gate, as by a clamp 39 and retaining bolts 40.

From Figure 2 it will be seen that the plungers 28, 29 are arranged one on each side of the gate member 14. The plunger 28 is operated on the work surface 23 of the cam plate 22 while the plunger 29 will operate on the surface 24 of the cam plate 22. One of the plungers 28 is for opening the gate in one direction and the other plunger 29 opens the gate in the other direcilOIl.

Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, the closing mechanism will now be described which consists of a closing cam plate 41 of generally V-shape having two work engaging surfaces 42 joined by an apex 44 which is directed downwardly or earthwardly. This plate 41, like the opening plate 22, is struck on the arc of a cylinder and is attached to the post by bolts 45 and spaced therefrom by spacers.

The angular working surfaces of the two plates 22, 41 bear a definite relationship, that is the angle of the apex 44 on the closing cam and the angle of the apex 25 on the opening cam plate 22. When it is desired that the gate open and close at the same rate of speed, the two angles are equal. If the gate is to be quick opening, slow closing, the apex angle 25 is small and the V- shaped angle 44 is larger, depending upon the desired rate of opening and closing. If it is desired that the gate be slow opening and quick closing, the angle of 25 is large and the V-angle 44 is smaller.

Cooperating with the closing plate 41 is a closing cam engaging means which consists of a bolt 47 adapted to be secured to the gate member 14 by nut 48 and having a head 49 which seats behind the work surfaces of the cam plate 41 between the plate 41 and post 15.

The length of the working surfaces 42, 43 on the cam closing plate 41 are of greater length than the work engaging surfaces 23, 24 of the opening cam plate 22, whereby upon the spring biased plunger 28 or 29 disengaging the opening cam plate 22, the gate will fall bringing the bolt 47 into sliding engagement with one of the working surfaces of the closing cam plate 41.

The actuating means for the opening cam engaging means in this form of the invention consists of a pair of rods 50, 51, one for each plunger 28 and 29. The rod 51 is connected to actuate plunger 28 while rod 50 actuates plunger 29. The rods 50, 51 are connected to the lower parts of the housings 30, 31 by hinges 52, 53 at a point forwardly of the pivots of the hinges supporting said housings, this being to raise the housing and plunger selected for operation into engagement with the opening cam plate 22. The rods 50,. 51 are connected to the hinges 52, 53 by pins, screws or bolts 54.

The rods 50, 51 have bends 50 51 which cross one another as best seen in Figure 9 and which join legs 50", 51' having angled arms 50, 51.

The operating shanks 50 51 are carried reciprocally in a guide plate 55 having a flange 56 to which is secured a clamp 57, which is held in place by clamp bolts 58, the clamp 57 anchoring the plate 55 and flange 56 to the gate member 14.

The lift shanks 50 51 are actuated by a foot engageable means which consists of a pair of arms 59, having a common pivot 61 adapted to be clamped over the bottom member 12 of the gate 10. At one side of the pivot 61 the arms 59" and 60* are short and are positioned beneath the lift shanks 50 51 to raise same. At the other side of the pivot 61 the arms 59 and 60 are long, terminating just short of the gate members 13 in foot treadles 59, 60 which are biased to a normally raised condition in which they are secured to one end of springs 62 and 63 and the other end of each of which is secured to a plate 64 retained against the gate member 13 by a clamp 65 and retaining bolts. The arms 59, 60 are bowed upwardly proximate their free end to permit the rods 50, 51 to be actuated prior to the free ends of the arms 59 60 striking the ground.

The bottoms of the lever arms 59*", 60 are provided.-

with lift projections 67, 68 which are spaced from the pivot 61 and which are adapted to engage a wear plate 69, as best seen in Figures 6 and 7 which is secured to the post 15, as by bolts 70, for imparting an upward thrust to lift the whole gate 10.

In operation To open the gate the operator steps on the treadle 60 depressing the lever arm 60 causing it to rotate about pivot 61 and present the short arm 60 into contact with the lift shank 50 of the rod. 50 to raise the housing 31 and urge its plunger v29 into contact with the opening cam plate 22 after which the projection 67 abuts the top of the wear plate 70 lifting the whole gate assembly and causing the gate supporting collars 16 and 17 to slide vertically axially over the post 15 until the spring biased plunger 29 snaps over the top of the working surface 24 of the cam plate 22 after which the foot is removed from the treadle 60. The weight of the gate then takes over and the gate tends to fall, the plunger 29 rides down the declined curved work surface 24 of the cam plate 22 opening the gate until the plunger 29 comes to the end of the cam plate at which time the gate drops bringing the closing bolt 47 into contact with the downwardly and inwardly declined surface 42 of the closing cam plate 41 causing the bolt 47 to swing the gate closed under the gravity weight of the gate and restoring the gate to the condition it was in prior to the operation above described. If it is desired to open the gate in the opposite direction, the treadle 59 is stepped upon by the operator and the lever 59 through rod 51 actuates plunger 28, projection 68, and lifts the gate assembly to swing the gate in the opposite direction employing the other working surfaces 23 and 42 of the cam plates 22 and 41, respectively.

What I claim is:

1. For use with a gate hinged to a gate post for swinging movement about the vertical axis of said post, a gate opening and closing device comprising, an opening cam adapted to be carried by said post, a closing cam adapted to be carried by said post and axially spaced from said opening cam on said post, opening cam engaging means adapted to be carried by said gate and being positioned to engage said opening cam upon upward movement of said gate axially of said post, closing cam engaging means adapted to be secured to said gate and positioned to engage said closing cam upon disengagement of said opening cam engaging means from said opening cam, said opening cam having a shorter cam track than said closing cam permitting descent of the gate upon disengagement of said opening cam engaging means therewith,

and actuating means for said opening cam engaging means adapted to be carried by said gate positioned to urge said opening cam engaging means into engagement with said opening cam and elevate said gate until said opening cam engaging means overlaps the working surface of said opening cam track whereby the weight of said gate will cause the gate to rotate about its swinging axis in the direction of opening and under the control of said opening cam engaging means in engagement with said opening cam the gate will simultaneously descend and open until said opening cam engaging means disengages said opening cam and said closing cam engaging means engages said closing cam thereby returning said gate to a closed position.

2. A gate opening and closing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said opening cam track has a substantially isosceles triangular working surface struck on the arc of a cylinder with the apex of the triangle uppermost and lying on the centerline of the gate post.

3. A gate opening and closing, device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said closing cam is an arcuate V-shaped plate the arms of the V of which are greater in length than the arms of the triangular working surface of the opening cam whereby upon the opening cam engaging means disengaging said opening cam said closing cam engaging means will engage an arm of said V-shaped closing plate, said closing cam being positioned with the apex of the V directed earthwardly.

4. A gate opening and closing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said opening cam engaging means are two in number one pivotally carried at each side of the gate and each of which contains a spring loaded cam engaging member adapted to be urged by the spring into overlapping engagement with the opening cam upon elevating said gate to so permit.

5. A gate opening and closing device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a unit of said actuating means comprises rods adapted to be mounted on said gate for vertical reciprocation and having one of their ends pivotally connected to said opening cam engaging means for selectively elevating one of said opening cam engaging means and urging it into engagement with said opening cam while simultaneously elevating said gate until said opening cam engaging means overlaps one side of the working surface of said opening cam.

6. A gate opening and closing device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising foot engageable means adapted to be pivotally carried by said gate at its base and being positioned to actuate said rods and lift said gate to urge said opening cam engaging means into engagement with said opening cam to open said gate upon release of said foot engageable means.

554,180 Good Feb. 4, 1896 

